Dear Brethren,
THE subject on which we address you in our Circular Letter, is important and interesting -- "How may a person, who entertains serious doubts of his spiritual state, obtain satisfaction whether he is converted or not?" May the answer of this question confirm the faith and hope of the satisfied happy Christian, remove the suspense and doubts of the spiritually dissatisfied, and awaken the unconverted to be wise unto salvation!
It is obvious that too many feel no solicitude or concern about their conversion and salvation -- not enough even to raise doubts in their minds on the subject. They sleep in spiritual death. They cry peace, peace, when there is no peace -- Such a state of carnal security and spiritual insensibility, is awfully dangerous; it is a dead calm, ominous of a tremendous storm.
Other persons, at particular seasons, have had partial convictions and awakenings of soul. The light of Divine truth has shone upon their understandings, but the darkness there comprehended is not. The two edged sword of conviction has pierced their hearts a little, but did not make wounds deep and alarming enough to make them apply to the Physician of souls.
Other persons possess a rash, groundless confidence of having experienced conversion, which is nearly allied to presumption. Self assurance and vanity blind and infatuate their mind. These characters think themselves more righteous and sanctified than others; they can act the part of the boasting Pharisee.
But, brethren, there are many honest-hearted, pure-spirited characters, whose minds are often involved in clouds of doubts concerning their conversion and regeneration. They go mourning and dejected through fear of not having experienced vital religion and evangelical conversion. To their own eyes their light seems so faint, their evidences so indistinct, their faith so weak, and their consolations so few, that gloomy doubts harrass and tress their minds. Probably the following might be the language of a person In this condition -- "Once I thought I had good grounds and sufficient, reasons to believe that I was converted, that God had been gracious to my guilty soul, that my Saviour had pardoned my sins, that the Holy Ghost had changed and regenerated my heart, and brought it out of darkness into the marvellous light of salvation. Once I thought I had experienced these spiritual exercises and operations; but, alas! now I fear my conversion was imaginary; that my religion was like the morning cloud and early dew. Now the spirit of faith, love and holy joy, seems to be almost entirely fled. My heart feels cold and hard, my affections feelfrozen and lifeless: I doubt the good seed of Divine truth was never sown in my heart, or its fruits would appear. I doubt my soul has never been illuminated with the Sun of Righteousness, or some rays of light would still shine. Doubts, fears and uncertainty, rob me of peace; make my days sad and my life bitter. Have not the devil and my own deceitful and desperately wicked heart, flattered me into a miserable delusion? Tormented with such doubts, distressed with such fears, how shall I disburden my heart of its melancholy load; how shall I dispel this dismal gloom; how shall I obtain satisfaction whether I have been converted or not?"
To obtain this desirable satisfaction, and come to a decision on the subject of his doubts, let such a person apply to the law and the testimony, to the gospel and its doctrines, and to the examples of Christians recorded in the word of God. The marks and characteristics of converted and regenerated persons are so clearly and distinctly described in the sacred writings, that we may judge whether we have these marks and characteristics or not. Have we had a godly Jeremy for sin? Have we repented in dust and ashes? Have we been convinced of its condemning power? Have we seen the grace, the glory, and the excellency of the gospel plan of salvation through Jesus Christ? Have we received and embraced our Saviour with penitent hearts and believing souls as the hope of glory, the way, the truth and the life? Have the scales of unbelief and spiritual darkness fallen from our eyes, and can we say, whereas once we were blind, now we see? Do we love the name, the word, the glory and worship of our Heavenly Father? Do we love our Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel? Do we love the Holy Ghost, the sanctifier and comforter? Do we love all who are of the household of faith, all true disciples of our Saviour and children of God? Do we live, by divine grace, soberly, righteously and godly? Are we humble, meek and patient? Are we charitable and benevolent to the poor and needy; the fatherless and friendless? Do we hate and abhor sin? Do we endeavour to avoid the least appealance of iniquity? Do we pray for grace, to conquer and subdue its power and influence? And do we make correspondent resotions? Are our affections set on things above, and our treasures in heaven? Do we love and habitually practise public, private and family prayer? And when we have done all these things, do we call ourselves unprofitable servants, and ascribe all the glory and praise to God?
Are our lives and conduct, proofs and evidences that we have experienced these spiritual operations and Christian exercises of soul? If we have, though the clouds and thick darkness of doubts should sometimes be round about us, yet we have good grounds and sufficient reasons to believe that our souls have been converted; that we are new creatures, the disciples of Jesus, the children of God and the heirs of heaven. Such proofs and evidences should give us satisfaction and banish every melancholy doubt. Perhaps the most sanctified, devout and perfect Christian is not entirely exempt from doubts at certain season; but the night will be short; the sun will soon rise with cheering and effulgent beams. Is it not necessary and proper, therefore, for those who entertain serious doubts of their spiritual state, to search the scriptures, to compare their experience, their hearts, their feelings, and their conduct, with the experience, the hearts and the conduct of converted persons recorded in the word of God? If there be a similarity and correspondence between them, may not satisfaction be obtained? Can there be a more satisfactory demonstration of our conversion and regeneration?
Let those then, who entertain serious doubts of their spiritual state, apply to this test, and use these means to obtain a satisfactory decision. The scriptures are the sure and infallible criterion by which we are to judge. If our conversion be not correspondent with their dictates and their voice, it must be because there is no truth or reality in it. If it do correspond, we should feel satisfaction and consolation, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great will be our reward in the kingdom of heaven. Let not doubts or anxiety be created in our minds when we feel a prevailing love to God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and when our conduct and conversation prove that we are perfecting holiness in fear of the Lord, and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Saviour. With these bright scriptural evidences we should be satisfied, and let the light of our religion, through divine aid, shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. May God enable all professors of religion to make these evidences of conversion shine conspicuously in their lives and conduct:, and to his adorable name shall be ascribed all the praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ================= [From the Charleston Baptist Association Minutes, 1801, via Wood Furman A. M., A History of the Charleston Association of Baptist Churches, pp. 95-97. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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